Here's why you never start a card at $9.99

Boopotts · January 21, 2010 4:49PM

Link

NickM · January 21, 2010 5:26PM

What does that card normally go for?

Nick

nightcrawler · January 21, 2010 5:35PM

There's only two graded 10.

Sportsamerica · January 21, 2010 9:17PM

we should do a group break on that year...

Allen · January 21, 2010 9:36PM

It would have brought that if started at $.99

frankhardy · January 21, 2010 9:50PM

<< It would have brought that if started at $.99 >>

I tend to agree. Maybe even more because more bidders may have gotten in on the action.

thedutymon · January 22, 2010 12:06AM

Good Morning,
For those of us who aren't experts on Modern Basketball. Am I to assume that it should have sold for a lot more?

Thanks
Neil

waxpack · January 22, 2010 12:12AM

I don't know much about basketball but I have noticed that more and more high dollar cards are being listed for top dollar. Alot of people are out of work and not bidding the way they used to. I think alot sellers are afraid they're not going to get the money they hope for starting auctions at .99.

Just my thoughts

Jeremy

jeffcbay · January 22, 2010 12:13AM

I'm kind of confused about the original post. Are you saying this card would have sold for less if it had been started at $9.99?

itzagoner · January 22, 2010 12:14AM

that's a good price Neil. a REAL good price.......a REALLY, REALLY good price.

compare, if you will, fishing with a Cheeto at the end of your line, and landing a 20 ft. catfish.

vladguerrero · January 22, 2010 12:14AM

<< 

<< It would have brought that if started at $.99 >>

I tend to agree. Maybe even more because more bidders may have gotten in on the action. >>

I tend to agree to your agree, the seller was no fool, the pop cards from this set rake

swartz1 · January 22, 2010 12:20AM

I do however like it when you start your PSA 10 photostamps at $9.99

hammered · January 22, 2010 12:35AM

True
But there have also been times I've started a listing with a high opening bid, item gets no bids, I relist it with a low opening, and the resulting competition bids it up higher than the opening bid of the original listing

jeffcbay · January 22, 2010 1:00AM

Yep, once I started a bid at $49.99 and nobody bid on it. I re-listed it at $9.99 with a $99.99 BIN on it and someone his the BIN within 1 hour of listing it. *shrugs*

thedutymon · January 22, 2010 1:39AM

<< that's a good price Neil. a REAL good price.......a REALLY, REALLY good price.

compare, if you will, fishing with a Cheeto at the end of your line, and landing a 20 ft. catfish. >>

Got it,
Thanks
Neil

mtcards · January 22, 2010 2:07AM

I agree lower starting bids may get a higher finishing bid.

Take my wife for example. She went to an estate auction, no cards which is why I didnt go, and they had folding lawn chairs. Nothing special just your standard folding lawn chairs. Twelve of them, one lot, starting bid $10....no bids, next starting bid $5...no bids....starting bid at $1!!!! Of course, my wife cant resist, she bids a buck, then the "competition" bids $2, then 3 then 4. By the end of the bidding, my wife has twelve used lawn chairs at a cost of $12.50!!! Her reasoning is that she was going to have a yard sale soon and might make a profit, DOH!!!!

I have no doubt that if either of these to entrepreneurs had bid $10 to begin with, that would have been the hammer price. Instead it went for 25% more. In the case of the Barkley, I think he got a lot for the card, but may have actually gotten more with a lower starting bid. Its all in the game.

georgebailey2 · January 22, 2010 2:30AM

"I agree lower starting bids may get a higher finishing bid.

Take my wife for example. "

I was expecting a Henny Youngman or Rodney Dangerfield punchline.

Allen · January 22, 2010 2:53AM

This is not fishing with cheetos. This is a vastly popular set with heavy international interest. You get 2 refractors in a box that sells for $780. The centering and refractor lines make high grade difficult on certain cards.

Had the seller started Barkley at $.99 it would have ended the same or more. Here are a few other PSA 10's

Nate McMillan started at $19.99 and sold for $290.95

Steve Kerr started at $19.99 and sold for $260.85

Arvdas Sabonis started at$19.99 and sold for $208.35

Also if you are not in the know about the kind of money good Barkley stuff brings you might start this card at $999.99 and hope for a one bid sucker.......
CHARLES BARKLEY 1999/00 UPPER DECK GAME JERSEY AUTO 4/4
What did it end at?

itzagoner · January 22, 2010 3:00AM

<< This is not fishing with cheetos. This is a vastly popular set with heavy international interest. You get 2 refractors in a box that sells for $780. The centering and refractor lines make high grade difficult on certain cards.

Had the seller started Barkley at $.99 it would have ended the same or more. Here are a few other PSA 10's

Nate McMillan started at $19.99 and sold for $290.95

Steve Kerr started at $19.99 and sold for $260.85

Arvdas Sabonis started at$19.99 and sold for $208.35

Also if you are not in the know about the kind of money good Barkley stuff brings you might start this card at $999.99 and hope for a one bid sucker.......
CHARLES BARKLEY 1999/00 UPPER DECK GAME JERSEY AUTO 4/4
What did it end at? >>

it ended at Kevin Burge's bank account.

waxpack · January 22, 2010 3:01AM

If a card gets only one bid you'll never know if it would of got the $500.00... rare or not starting at .99.

I agree... I listed items with high opening bids or BIN's with no action. Next time around I start it at .99 and sells higher than my BIN price.

CNote · January 22, 2010 3:09AM

refractor lines wouldn't impact the grade

billwaltonsbeard · January 22, 2010 3:13AM

Based on my ebay selling and buying experience, I would think that it will almost always be to the seller's advantage to start a high value card off at a higher price. To me it depends on the number of collectors who would be interested in the item.

For example, that Barkley. While it's obviously very rare, you have to ask yourself, how many people out there are trying to complete a PSA 10 set of 96 Topps Chrome refractors? I would think not very many.

If a couple of those guys didn't get a chance to bid on the auction, you're gonna end up with the possibility of the card getting stolen for the opening bid. I've seen that kind of thing happen dozens of times.

On the other hand, when you have very popular cards, like any base set Jordan from the 80s, you can start that auction off at .01 every time, because you know the bid action will always be there.

fuj · January 22, 2010 3:24AM

<< This is not fishing with cheetos. This is a vastly popular set with heavy international interest. You get 2 refractors in a box that sells for $780. The centering and refractor lines make high grade difficult on certain cards.

Had the seller started Barkley at $.99 it would have ended the same or more. Here are a few other PSA 10's

Nate McMillan started at $19.99 and sold for $290.95

Steve Kerr started at $19.99 and sold for $260.85

Arvdas Sabonis started at$19.99 and sold for $208.35

Also if you are not in the know about the kind of money good Barkley stuff brings you might start this card at $999.99 and hope for a one bid sucker.......
CHARLES BARKLEY 1999/00 UPPER DECK GAME JERSEY AUTO 4/4
What did it end at? >>

All of those Topps Chrome refractors were won by the same buyer who has the #1 registry set. Bottom line is he does not get outbid for the cards that he wants/needs. Given that his GPA is 9.59 and he is already at 100% completion, it would be a crapshoot for anyone to know if you are putting up a card that would upgrade his set. I doubt that an open auction would have pushed this card up higher since the seller was trolling for the same fish anyways (to continue to fishing reference).

saucywombat · January 22, 2010 4:16AM

I have one or two examples of refractors graded 10 with refractor lines, but generally the line seems to hold max grades to 9.

sportscardtheory · January 22, 2010 4:24AM

I don't even understand why anyone would use a starting price that is so minuscule to the end price. I mean, besides a higher fee for starting at $9.99, what is the difference of starting it at $.99 or $9.99 when you know the item will end at hundreds of dollars?

waxpack · January 22, 2010 4:24AM

<< Based on my ebay selling and buying experience, I would think that it will almost always be to the seller's advantage to start a high value card off at a higher price. To me it depends on the number of collectors who would be interested in the item.

For example, that Barkley. While it's obviously very rare, you have to ask yourself, how many people out there are trying to complete a PSA 10 set of 96 Topps Chrome refractors? I would think not very many.

If a couple of those guys didn't get a chance to bid on the auction, you're gonna end up with the possibility of the card getting stolen for the opening bid. I've seen that kind of thing happen dozens of times.

On the other hand, when you have very popular cards, like any base set Jordan from the 80s, you can start that auction off at .01 every time, because you know the bid action will always be there. >>

You said it perfect.

SOM · January 22, 2010 6:16AM

<< I agree lower starting bids may get a higher finishing bid. Take my wife for example. >>

Me too, george!

At least, a "please!"

fkw · January 22, 2010 8:25AM

For Modern Basketball

Thats good $$

TomGshotput · January 22, 2010 8:57AM

In a rational world, if an item received one bid at a starting cost, it should always be a higher selling price than if it had it started for a penny

I'm pretty sure there isn't a person alive who would call e-bay a rational market

rbdjr1 · January 22, 2010 12:14PM

Wow!

Which card would you rather have?

rd

1961 Topps Magic Rub-Offs, New York Yankees PSA 10 ................... $495 **
1996 Topps Chrome Refractor #34 Charles Barkley PSA 10 ............. $499

** Card offered by Fuzzdude (right now!)

WinPitcher · January 22, 2010 12:46PM

I think BooPotts was being sardonic.

Steve

Stone193 · January 22, 2010 12:50PM

<< I think BooPotts was being sardonic.

Steve >>

I agree and I don't even know what that means!

sportscardtheory · January 22, 2010 12:55PM

How can anyone honestly say that starting a multi-hundred dollar card at $9.99 makes any difference in the ending price than if started at $.99. Once it's over $10 how would anyone even know the opening bid was $9.99. Why would anyone, when it's at $350, think to themselves, "I would bid more if he started it at $.99, but because he started it at $9.99 I'm not bidding anymore."

WinPitcher · January 22, 2010 1:00PM

Mike

Actually I wanted to say he was being 'facitious' but can't spell it.

meant to be humorous or funny : not serious <a facetious remark>

So I went to look it up.

The above is more in line as to what I feel was his meaning.

He was NOT being serious IMO.

Steve

Stone193 · January 22, 2010 1:09PM

I hear ya Steve - one can use all those fancified words - ironic, sardonic, facetious....

I thought Boo was just messin' with us.

DrLou · January 22, 2010 1:30PM

Sports card theory--I think you are missing Boopotts point. For a niche card like this she is saying that it is best listed at a high starting price than a low one since there may not be a second bidder. Had the seller listed this card at 9.99 ihstead of 499.00 it would have sold for 9,99 since really only one other person is interested in this card (or the second person might not see it that week.) Now a Jordan RC is diff situation, wouldn't matter if you started it at a buck or $100 it will still sell for $500-1K if in nice condition

Here's why you never start a card at $9.99

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